Infrastructure funding, critical infrastructure cybersecurity, and algal bloom research were among the topics touched by new legislation offered in the House and Senate over the past month:
- The Senate Commerce Committee approved the “Cybersecurity Act” (S. 1353) on July 30. Introduced by committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and ranking Republican John Thune of South Dakota, the bill would formally give the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) authority to develop voluntary, industry-led cybersecurity standards and best practices for water and wastewater systems and other critical infrastructure assets. NIST would work with relevant ISACs and sector coordinating councils to develop the standards and would lead a public education campaign to raise cybersecurity awareness and help “increase the understanding” of state and local governments of possible methods to address cyber vulnerabilities. The bill does not, however, include new regulations or mandates to require the adoption of any cybersecurity measure by a critical infrastructure operator.
- Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced the “National Infrastructure Development Act” (H.R. 2553), which would establish a government-owned corporation to evaluate and fund a range of water, wastewater, transportation, aviation, port, and school infrastructure projects. The bill is similar to proposals Rep. DeLauro has introduced in previous sessions of Congress, but did not advance.
- S. 1254, a bill offered by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), would authorize $12.5 million over five years for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop and coordinate a national strategy to detect, monitor, and mitigate harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in water bodies.